Boxing isn't Dead. It's Just Very International

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Just tonight, I checked my Facebook feed and well, it was blowing up about a football game. I've never seen so many posts in such a short amount of time. I've never seen a boxing match get this much attention on there- including May-Pac.

Now this is just my perspective of course, but I would be willing to bet that social media is blown up often because of football, baseball and basketball here in the USA. Boxing does at times, but it seems more sparse here in the states.

I think that the sport is just a very international one. Boxing matches happen all over the world which is definitely a great thing. However, I don't know if it will ever be anywhere close to number one in America again. This is why we have more title belts in my opinion also. The UFC is based right here and most of the events take place in America. But boxing? It's just more international and spread out. It can't be placed in the box of one organization.

Any thoughts?

[yngwie]

Boxing needs a huge punch, these fighters are getting lots of money to fight some low caliber boxer once or two times a year, everyone is afraid of the big fights and fans roast any fighter after a loss, when the promoters can't stand afford 4 millions to the likes of Andre Berto, fighters would wake up and will start to act like fighters.

[Canelo and GGG]

2 biggest stars just retired ,give boxing some time to recover from this ,boxing is not even close to be dead.

[deathofaclown]

It is very international, more so than ever just look how many world champions are from different countries. It's a good thing. In the past, how many people would be getting into arguments about a potential fight between a guy from Kazakhstan and a Mexican?


Also slightly off topic, but boxing is a very fragmented sport in general when you think of it....

Take sports like Soccer, they have FIFA as an overall governing body. Athletics has the IAAF. Then obviously sports like NFL, NBA, NHL, even UFC are all governed by a single entity.

Boxing is not, i mean the laws change from state to state just in USA alone, never mind worldwide, Different promoters, TV networks etc. If often makes things difficult because essentially you need a lot of different businesses all willing to play ball with each other to make anything happen at all, which is very strange for a sport. I can't think of any other sport that works in such a way?

[Tony Trick-Pony]

It is very international, more so than ever just look how many world champions are from different countries. It's a good thing. In the past, how many people would be getting into arguments about a potential fight between a guy from Kazakhstan and a Mexican?


Also slightly off topic, but boxing is a very fragmented sport in general when you think of it....

Take sports like Soccer, they have FIFA as an overall governing body. Athletics has the IAAF. Then obviously sports like NFL, NBA, NHL, even UFC are all governed by a single entity.

Boxing is not, i mean the laws change from state to state just in USA alone, never mind worldwide, Different promoters, TV networks etc. If often makes things difficult because essentially you need a lot of different businesses all willing to play ball with each other to make anything happen at all, which is very strange for a sport. I can't think of any other sport that works in such a way?

Oh it's very unique in that way. Sometimes I wish it was governed by one entity and there would be fewer belts of course. However, the way it is, this sport is as widespread as one can imagine. Especially with the fall of the Iron Curtain and with many Cubans defecting. I say the more the better, but I wish there was one recognized champion. Still, what other sport can get away with having so many champions? It's crazy, but the sport will keep right on rolling IMO.

[CubanGuyNYC]

It's an interesting topic, for sure. For decades, the US was the 800 lb gorilla of boxing. I would argue it's still the Mecca of boxing. But little by little, other countries have taken their share of the pie. Earlier today I was reading an article about Zhang Zhilei, the 6'6" 2008 Chinese silver medalist in the super heavyweight division. Don't know how good he is -- never seen him fight -- but he's determined to make his mark. Guys like him and Zou Shiming are helping to stir the interest of 1.5 billion souls. That means even more boxers coming out of China, and the Chinese becoming a potential dominant force in the sport. Boxing is indeed becoming much more globalized. I welcome it.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

It's an interesting topic, for sure. For decades, the US was the 800 lb gorilla of boxing. I would argue it's still the Mecca of boxing. But little by little, other countries have taken their share of the pie. Earlier today I was reading an article about Zhang Zhilei, the 6'6" 2008 Chinese silver medalist in the super heavyweight division. Don't know how good he is -- never seen him fight -- but he's determined to make his mark. Guys like him and Zou Shiming are helping to stir the interest of 1.5 billion souls. That means even more boxers coming out of China, and the Chinese becoming a potential dominant force in the sport. Boxing is indeed becoming much more globalized. I welcome it.

Oh I know. Ten years ago and especially on further back, I would have never pictured China being a factor in boxing. I agree. The more, the merrier. Some of these countries have some legend building to do and I'm sure they are going to do so. America still is where so many come to really make it which I like as well. I guess I just don't expect the best fighters in the world to always come out of America anymore, though. That's fine. We've had so many greats that we are steeped in the legend from here on out. Over all, I think it's great for the sport.

[jreckoning]

Boxing isn't dead, it's just a fringe sport. Soccer (football) is international too, it's just 100x more popular.

Boxing had a chance to become mainstream with the Pac-May fight but it was so disappointing and anticlimactic for casual fans that where it could have gotten momentum it just fizzled out.

Maybe some of that will change if new stars come on the horizon but I really don't know anybody with international appeal in this era whereas Pac and May were known by a lot of people.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Boxing isn't dead, it's just a fringe sport. Soccer (football) is international too, it's just 100x more popular.

Boxing had a chance to become mainstream with the Pac-May fight but it was so disappointing and anticlimactic for casual fans that where it could have gotten momentum it just fizzled out.

Maybe some of that will change if new stars come on the horizon but I really don't know anybody with international appeal in this era whereas Pac and May were known by a lot of people.

Oh I don't mean so much big time international stars as much as there are now more countries like China involved and so many champions from outside the USA. There have always been some but I think there are many more these days.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

The U.S. does have ten recognized champions, which definitely isn't bad, but I'm not sure we're the dominant force anymore.